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Read Five, Buy One Update #2

Hello my loves!

I hope you’ve had a good week and have lovely things planned for the coming weekend! Today’s post is the second update I have for you in my Read Five, Buy One series! Now, I have had one or two slips with my book buying plans, but these are a result of events, and so I can’t be blamed for that…. right? Anyway, I digress, here are the most recent books I’ve read and my most recent purchase.

Read Books

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
This one had been on my shelf for some time, but was one that I was a little reluctant to due to it obviously difficult subject matter. I am so glad I picked it up. I actually listened to the audiobook for this, although I do own a physical copy, and I feel that it totally enhanced my experience. This book absolutely broke me. There is no other way to explain it. A story about the terror of the concentration and work camps of Auschwitz, but at it’s core, a story of survival, courage and love that will have you swelling with love and crying with a broken heart. A brilliant 5/5 star read!

Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston
I picked this one up because of my fascination with the American Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement and the Slave Trade. This one is gut-wrenching. It’s difficult to describe it as anything other than that. Barracoon is the story of Cudjo Lewis’ life, as told by him, to Zora Neale Hurston from his home in Plateau, Alabama. A difficult book to say is brilliant, due to the tough subject matter, but the way in which it is approached is wonderful and would recommend this to anyone interested in the topic. 4/5 stars.

The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh
So, I have lovely Hux to blame for this one. She mentioned it, I bought it, it was as simple at that. I am so glad she recommend it though, because I loved this book. The Water Cure is the story of three sisters, living on an isolated island. But when their father leaves and never returns, and their mother goes missing, the sisters find themselves in a difficult situation. Then come the men…. I honestly do not wanted to say anymore, because I don’t want to spoilt it for you, but trust me, it is wonderful. 5/5 stars for this now Man Booker Prize long-listed book.

Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig
Matt Haig is an auto-buy author for me and I’ve had this one on pre-order since JANUARY. Notes on a Nervous Planet attempts to answer the following questions; how can we stay sane on a planet that makes us mad? How do we stay human in a technological world? And how do we feel happy when we are encouraged to be anxious? And let me tell you this, it does it in the most calming way possible. While the first few pages did make me feel more anxious, the rest of the book certainly made me more prepared for living in the 21st century. Matt Haig will always be a 5/5 star author for me.

An Unremarkable Body by Elisa Lodato
So, I have tried and tried again to try to summarise this book in a cohesive and succinct way, but have thus far failed, so I am cheating and taking this from the blurb; with the heart of a memoir and the pace of a thriller, An Unremarkable Body reveals an overwhelming desire to make sense of an unfulfilled life – and to prove that an unremarkable body does not mean an unremarkable life. It really is the most wonderful book. It has shot straight to one of my favourites of the year and after reading this I immediately requested Elisa Lodato’s second novel, The Necessary Marriage which is being realised at the end of this month! It’s fair to say that I rated this a blinding 5/5 stars! Keep an eye out for my full review soon.

Book Bought

A New York summer so hot the air is turning yellow. Kate, a young woman newly arrived from London, is determined to become the kind of person who is up for it and down for it – and not remotely troubled over how those two semantically opposed phrases could have come to mean the same thing. In the sweltering city, she encounters Bill, a once-lauded now booze-sodden novelist, and Inez, his teenage daughter who makes extra cash catering to the sexual fantasies of men she has met online – and falls into a complex infatuation with them both. Get your copy now!

And there we have it! My latest Read Five, Buy One Update. Have you read any of these books? I’d love to know!

Hi! I love this ‘Read 5, buy 1’ idea – I may have tk use it myself!
Your mini reviews are so great, and I’m especially intrigued by your one for An Unremarkable Body. It’s one of my next reads so I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it!

I’m so happy to see that The Water Cure got 5/5 from you! It doesn’t come out in the US until early next year, and I have an eARC waiting for me on NetGalley, but it will still be a couple months until I can get to it. I love the premise though 🙂